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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/23597470">Grown</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/RetroactiveCon/pseuds/RetroactiveCon'>RetroactiveCon</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>Praying That It'll Be You [25]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>The Flash (TV 2014)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Autistic Jerrie Rathaway, Family Reunions, M/M</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-04-21</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-04-21</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-03 00:21:16</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>General Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>1,102</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/23597470</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/RetroactiveCon/pseuds/RetroactiveCon</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>
  <em>“Allen.” It’s Singh’s voice. Barry bolts up and scrambles for the latest case file—it’s done, he’s just forgotten to turn it in (again)—but Singh doesn’t look annoyed. Instead, he stands aside to reveal a short, elfin young woman with bright red hair. “This young lady was looking for you.”</em>
</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Barry Allen/Hartley Rathaway</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>Praying That It'll Be You [25]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/series/1562548</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>11</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>114</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>Grown</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>“Allen.” It’s Singh’s voice. Barry bolts up and scrambles for the latest case file—it’s done, he’s just forgotten to turn it in (again)—but Singh doesn’t look annoyed. Instead, he stands aside to reveal a short, elfin young woman with bright red hair. “This young lady was looking for you.”</p>
<p>“Uh, thank you, Captain.” Barry is taken aback. Before Singh can leave, he thrusts out the file. “This is for you, sir.”</p>
<p>Singh arches an eyebrow. “One day I won’t need to come up and pry these from you, Allen. One day.”</p>
<p>The young woman stays precisely in the spot where Singh leaves her, hands clasped in front of her as though she’s afraid to touch anything. She stands on tiptoe, resembling nothing so much as a bird about to take flight. “You are CSI Barry Allen,” she pronounces. Her eyes fix firmly on his nose. </p>
<p>“Hi, Jerrie,” he says gently. </p>
<p>A grin flits across her freckled face. “You are going to take me home to see my brother. Please.” </p>
<p>Barry certainly will, but he feels he ought to check, “You won’t get in trouble?”</p>
<p>“Oh, I will.” She rocks back and forth. “My parents will be angry, but they can’t hold it against me. I don’t know any better.” This is said with a grin that’s strongly reminiscent of Hartley. No doubt she’s turning their words to her defense, and she has every right to be proud of herself for it. </p>
<p>“In that case, yes, I'll certainly take you to see your brother.” Barry glances at the clock. He’s not technically supposed to leave yet, but he never took his lunch break. He has enough time to take Jerrie back to the apartment. (Once they get there, he doubts Hartley will want a witness to a long-overdue reunion, so it’ll be okay that he can’t stay.) </p>
<p>Jerrie bounces. “Thank you, thank you so much!” </p>
<p>Her joy makes him light up. It’s hard to resist the urge to happy-rock, but he long ago learned not to do so in public, even the relative privacy of his lab. “Of course. He’s gonna be ecstatic to see you.” </p>
<p>During the cab ride, he dashes off a text to Hartley warning him that he’s about to have guests. Hartley is home on Caitlin’s orders; the last meta they fought shattered most of the bones in his hand, so he’s not up to the delicate manual labor required at STAR Labs. This means he’s also texting with his non-dominant hand, so his <em>Okay…?</em> takes several seconds longer to arrive than it normally would. </p>
<p>“Okay, he’s expecting us.” Barry looks over at her and grins. “Well, not you specifically because I kinda want it to be a surprise, but guests. Also, you should know he’s got broken bones in his hand, so he might not be too touchy.”</p>
<p>“That’s okay, I mostly don’t do touchy.” She wriggles. “How did he break his hand? Was it as Piper? I watch every time he’s on the news.” </p>
<p>Barry nods. He sometimes forgets that, despite how allegedly secret he tries to keep his identity, Hartley is open about being Pied Piper. (Understanding why—that Hartley doesn’t think he has anyone left who would be protected by his secrecy—makes this hurt more.) “Yeah, it was.” </p>
<p>“I worry for him,” she admits. “Every time I watch, I wonder if he’ll get hurt too badly and I won’t be able to go see him and then he might…” Her breath catches. “Die.”</p>
<p>“That won’t happen,” Barry promises. He’s lost too many people. He refuses to lose Hartley. (No matter that the reasons are entirely selfish; a promise is a promise, whatever’s backing it.) </p>
<p>When they reach the apartment, the door swings open before Barry can knock. “I know how much time it takes to get here from the precinct,” Hartley explains as the door opens. “And I was very anxious to—” The rest of the sentence dies in his throat. All that’s left is a soft, astonished, “Jerrie?”</p>
<p>“Hart!” She flings her arms around his neck. He brings his good hand up to cradle the back of her head and squeezes her tightly with his other arm. </p>
<p>“Jerrie,” he says again. They start to rock back and forth; Barry isn’t sure who initiates it, but once they get going, they show no signs of stopping. “Look at you, look how big you are. I’m sorry, baby J, I’m so sorry for leaving you alone with them. I shouldn’t have left.” </p>
<p>“You didn’t leave,” she pronounces fiercely. “They made you go. You would have had to change to stay, and you don’t deserve that. You had to leave to be you. Just like I have to fight to be me.” </p>
<p>“I should have been there to fight for you.” He takes slow, backwards steps, unwilling to let go of her even for a moment. Barry follows cautiously behind them, ready to reach out if they trip. </p>
<p>“It was my fight.” Her red hair flies out around her when she shakes her head. “And you went and found love, like you should.” She glances briefly over her shoulder. Barry offers a quick smile. “Does he make you happy, Hart?”</p>
<p>“So happy.” There’s no hesitation, none of the nervous glances that mean Hartley is trying to say what Barry wants to hear. He means it. The thought makes a pleased little glow kindle in Barry’s chest. “But what about you? Are you happy at home?”</p>
<p>“No, but I cope.” She lets him pull her down onto the sofa. “I make art now. I don’t sell it because we have enough money, but I do requests. It's fun.”</p>
<p>Barry taps Hartley’s shoulder to warn him before bending down and kissing his temple. “I have to go back to the precinct,” he murmurs. “I figure you two want some time alone.”</p>
<p>Hartley tips his head back and pulls Barry into a brief but thorough kiss. “Thank you.” </p>
<p>Barry squeezes his shoulder gently. To Jerrie, he says, “It was lovely to see you again. I hope the two of you have a nice talk.”</p>
<p>She perks up and waves at him. “Thank you, Barry Allen!” </p>
<p>He waits until he’s in the hall to take off running. Jerrie may know Hartley is Pied Piper, but there’s no reason for her to know he’s the Flash; it would only put all three of them in more danger. (If, perhaps, the Flash pays a visit to the Rathaways to impress on them that they had best not treat their daughter as they did their son—well, that’s the Flash’s business.)</p>
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